Italy touring

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iamlikesocool

New member
Ursula and I did six years in a row based out of Lugano Switzerland for up to two months at a time. You can enjoy some of the photos at www.weathergod.com What I recommend is to hook up with a low profile guy like Charlie Newdorf: http://www.alps-tours.com/ or contact me directly through this site. We were always able to secure Ducati ST-X bikes and that worked with our gear from here in the USA. I have extensive knowledge of where to go and where to stay in Switzerland, Italy and France including Corsica. We did the Centopassi twice, too, plus the Terni Moto Club Motogiro.
 
god bless america but i think most of the US sucks at driving lol. ive driven but never rode there but i think most of what antirich said is true. more skilled drivers maybe but a lot more risks. when there is an accident its usually worse, but there are fewer accidents. rush hour in the cities were chaotic. the cars were gridlocked but scooters were flying in between the cars at warp speed. nobody cares about the lines on the road there either.

as for the fast lane thing... thats one of my favorite things about europe (and a pet peeve for here). they observe the fast lane rules to a T. if you dont, you might get run off the road. AS IT SHOULD BE hahaha
 
I rented 2 multies with 2 buddies in 05. We had them delivered to the villa we rented in Tuscany, and had a blast. The Multi is ideal for local roads and goes fine 2 up. We had 3 couples and split time on the bikes, usually with a car headed the same dirction for day trips. Perhaps it wasn't a hardcore MC trip but we had 2 bikes to enjoy in the hot weather and tons of fun 2-3 hour rides plus on minus the spouses. The guy who ran the Rome based rental gig is out of the business I think but several of the euro mags like "Two" etc list Italy based Ducati rental firms. I have never regretted setting up a base camp in an area and taking lots of time to see the surrounds rather than blasting across a country in a few days time.
 
http://www.jpbari.com/

If you like toring and then sipping fine wine, check out this one..Plus they have Ducati bikes to choose from..

Good Luck with you trip planning.. I am heading over in August and I am going to the Ducati Museum and factory.

Just saw that someone else recommended JP Bari in this thread.. Their gig comes highy recommended..
 
+1

next to a track day it was the best driving experience of my life!

my first day driving there i was on the Autostrada doing 90mph easy and thought "jeez why is this lady all on my ass!!" you learn quick no matter how fast you are going you stay on the right unless you are passing because someone is gonna stick his fender in your ass otherwise!
 
I live in Rome (Canadian) and am doing a small bike trip with a couple of mates in Sardegna this spring.... so I've looked around a bit. If Dukes are what you're after, I'd recommend Ducati tours as well. The guy (sorry... can't remember his name) is a Brit ( I think) and was really cool on the phone. Really open to what ever type of experience you wanted.
Out side of them, www.mototouring.com also has a good selection of Dukes, and they are very flexible on Pick up and drop off (and a little cheaper then Ducati Tours).

As for Riding in Italy and weather: Yes, its a bit nuts.... but because there are bikes EVERYWHERE, drivers are used to them and expect them to do nutty things like drive up the middle of the road in traffic.
As for weather, October is arguably the nicest month. Sunny, Warm.... perfect for riding. I would avoid winter months though as it can rain a lot (like now... although not as bad as last year!!) and the mountains will be covered in snow. September and October would be choice IMO. Stelvio pass.... nuff said ; )

Have a good one!!
J
 
Bolder, less patient, and accustomed to it, but they're no better. Just as many cell yakkers there as here.

A lot more ladies on scooters, and -moving- traffic.

I rented w/o a tour per se. It's not that difficult, although my observation is that fewer Austrians & Italiains generally speak English. That's not a slight in any way. I sent 4 Italians I'd never met before my trip Christmas gifts that year.

I like riding in Italy because there's no traffic cop sitting around the corner running radar, and as previous posters noted motos get much more respect. I probably won't make it back in '10 though, but am scheduled for IoM TT

OP: Consider your transit times. Wife & I had a break down on a Sunday. Bad idea. Whatever mount you pick, make sure you can put in a full day on it, and can afford to feed it. Gas is ... well... expensive!
 
Yea, if you're going solo, be careful when planing mountain roads. Google may say the route is only 100 km, but it it's shapes like a small intestine, then expect to tripple the time it takes. Not just because of the 1st. gear turns, but to give you time for those unbelievable places to stop and take it all in.

We crossed Mallorca last November (no bike, just a Mini convertible) taking to northern clift road that hugs the costline. Normally it takes about 3-4 hours to cross the island via the highway, this road took two days! Worth every moment!

As scary as a non guided trip may seem, it's actually the most rewarding. We did three days in the Bavarian alps on a BMW St, no guide, no real map, and a disfunctional GPS. The place is so beautiful, you just can't go wrong no matter where you turn.

In the mountain areas, there is typically only one way to get from point A to point B. A very strange concept coming form the NorthEast, but easy to figure out. When you get there, you'll see why. Short of a massive tunnel, there is no where else to make a road!

One thing I would advise is that if you're a newer or timid rider, don't try riding in Europe. The skill level you need is much higher, and all of the other drivers will expect it.
 
I was just in Florence in early November and tried to hook up with DucatiTours. Unfortunately, as other members have put it, that is not the time to rent a bike and DucatiTours goes on vacation around then. It was very nice when I was there and it would have been great to do a tour outside of the city, but if you aren't familiar with European driving and are even the slightest bit timid out of your own town trying to get around, do not do a tour there. I'd say I'm a very spirited driver in a car, but less so on a bike. Having driven in the UK, Germany and now Italy, it is not a place I would try to rent a bike and ride if I was new to driving over there. My GPS was a massive time saver and got me to Modena and Bologna even after a missed exit. Again, it isn't that driving there is so much tougher, but you have speed cameras (posted well enough) and drivers that expect driving behaviors. In larger cities, it is extremely aggressive and you are constantly watching for mopeds and scooters (some with kids on them as well). I also agree with those who stated about picking the right bike for the environment you'll be riding in. In short, I don't know many people from Ohio that could drive over there, but I'm pretty sure someone from Boston, NYC and Chicago could do just fine (as long as they understand yielding to the right on a highway). Having said that, I wouldn't hesitate to take a trip outside the major cities.
 
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